What kind of restaurants and food you can find in Japan?
This blog is for "Food Lovers" who are planning to travel in Japan, who are non-Japanese speakers living in Japan and all who are interested in food culture of Japan!
英語で日本の食文化を紹介するブログです。

6 posts from December 2012

31 December 2012

The Japanese major news paper specialized in marketing field, Nikkei Marketing Journal announced "Hits product ranking 2012" this month. Seeing the list ranked by categorized as Yokozuna / Ozeki / Sekiwake ... and two positions East/West taken from Sumo the Japanese traditional fighting sports, we are able to recognize what are the trends among Japanese locals. Japanese people like to discuss what I got or experienced or do know?! for products or services on the list to evaluate how much each of us could catch up with the new trends.

Let's see the list of Nikkei Marketing Journal "Hits product ranking 2012" from the top.

Yokozuna 横綱 (the top rank)

Tokyo Skytree 東京スカイツリー- The tallest tower in Japan opened on May 2012 is the most popular tourist spot of Tokyo among Japanese nationals. It was really lucky if we could get a ticket to climing up to the upper floor during the early months since opening.

7inchi tablet - such as iPad mini, Kindle by Amazon and Nexus by Google are arrived also in Japan and paied attentions of locals.

Ozeki 大関 (the 2nd rank)

Low cost carrier (LCC) 格安航空会社 - This must be affected on those traveling in Japan. In 2012, Japanese established airline ANA launched Peach Aviation, and Jetstar and Air Asia arrived in Japan for domestic flights operation between major cities like Tokyo, Osaka and some resort destinations such as Okinawa, Hokkaido. It's a big change since the time only a few legacy carriers fly within Japan.

LINE - is a mobile phone application developed in Japan and allows users to have free call and short message exchanges among friends. The communication tool captured over 36 millions users, mainly younger 10 - 20's generations in Japan.

Nikkei Marketing Journal "Hits product ranking 2012" includes total almost 40 products, services etc. Below Ozeki (the 2nd rank), we found several food related products on the list.

Now we picked up some as examples...,

Maruchan Seimen (正麺) - The packed instant noodle was launched from Maruchan. The new product has been developed with patented production techniques for which maruchan succeeded in keeping authentic ramen flavor in the instant product.

Japanese traditional sweets at convenience stores - Major convenience store chains such as Seven-Eleven and Lawson are competing for sweets product developped under their own brands. In spite of the small amount of price around Yen 100 to 300, the quality and taste are something we cannot ignore.

Here we show a couple of newest example of them from Lawson Uchi-cafe sweets.

Premium roll cake with Matcha (green tea) and black beans: Both major ingredients are from the highest quality origin for each, matcha from Uji, Kyoto and black beans from Tanba-Sasayama, Hyogo prefecture.

Matcha cake wrapping black beans cream.

Pure fresh cream Daifuku : Daifuku, one of the most popular traditional sweets of Japan, is arranged by Lawson. To attracts more younger genrations for the traditional product, the Western ingredient, fresh cream, is added into the center filling of Daifuku.

The mochi (outer rice cake) is very soft and sticky

and filled with full of beans and fresh cream.

Drop by Lawson or Seven-Eleben and get a piece of Japanese sweets available there.

It's a good opportunity easily to try a Japanese traditional sweets!!!

Zaku Tofu (ザク豆腐) - This is what we introduced on our facebook page on this March. It's a Tofu product inspired by Zaku, a character of animation program GUNDAM. The green color tofu is made with green soybean (edamame) flavour. Available at supermarkets and convenience stores in Tokyo and surroundings.

Yaki Gyudon (焼牛丼)- You may know Gyudon (牛丼, beef bowl) available at the most famous Yoshinoya (吉野家). Yaki Gyudon (Grilled beef bowl) chain "Tokyo Chikarameshi (東京チカラめし)" is a newly emerged rival of Yoshinoya and is operated by a major casual Izakaya chain. Tokyo Chikarameshi's beef bowl price is slightly lower than the ones of major Gyudon chains. The number of Tokyo Chikarameshi's units is dramatically increased in 2012 and it is now over 100 units within one and a half years since the first opening.

One day we will report the grilled beef bowl on this blog!

Oreno Italian/French (俺のイタリアン, 俺のフレンチ) - Ore(俺) is a vulgar expression of "I"(私). The Italian and French restaurants imply the casual atmosphere with the vulgar word. The concept is... a restaurant hires skilled chef (some of them have experience at Michelin star restaurants.) while it serves in "standing" style. Then it makes available plates with high quality ingredients like truffles or fois-gras by skilled chef at very reasonable price. Due to the sensational prices of plates, all of the units Oreno Italian and Oreno French are often fully occupied and even a long queue could be seen by locals every evening.

As some examples of their sensational menu and price, we visited the second unit of Oreno Italian in Shimbashi. Arriving early evening around 6p.m., we luckly took the last spce(not a seat) at the counter. We saw business people coming and asking place with fail time by time even after we started having a few plates and glasses of wine there.

Shrimp ajillo just cooked!

Pizza Margherita - looking at the chef preparing for other guests over the counter,

30 December 2012

Following our previous post about Ota Market for December 2012 monthly feature, "Market"(市場), we picked up some scenes at Tsukiji Market on December for this post.

Once in 2011 we introduced Tsukiji Market with a seriese of posts mainly for Jonai (場内, inside) or wholesale area, where it is known for Tuna Auction. This time we focus on Jogai (場外, outside) area in Tsukiji Market.

Tsukiji Jogai market (築地場外市場) is situated next to the Tsukiji Market Jonai (築地市場場内) or wholesale area. Jogai, representing "outer area" in Japanese, is targeting more at non-professional buyers or local ordinary people and tourists, while Jogai area(inside) is mainly for professional buyers such as restaurants, retailers. Jogai area looks more like shopping arcade. It is the busiest around the end of December by local people who are looking for seafood and related products to be prepared for their New Year feast.

In other parts of the world, especially in Christian culture, maybe you have a feast on the Chritsmas day with your family, while you spend fun time with your friends or a partner on New year eve and New year day. In Japan on the contrary, New Year holiday 1st to 3rd of January is a period when we share time with our family in traditional ways, while we are likely to enjoy Christmas season with friends or a partner by having parties in a modern way. So New Year holiday for Japanese is to Christmas day for Christial family. Then you can imagine why Japanese locals are eager to organize a big feast on New year holidays.

Celebration in Japanese traditional style, seafood is one of the biggest feature among New Year plates. So local people rush to Tsukiji for high quality seafood at less expensive price. Then on the last half of December, we can find some gorgeous seafood products or delicacies which rarely could be seen in other seasons.

For examples....

Crab, salmon roe

whole fis of salmon in wooden containers

During the last few days of December, Tsukiji Jogai market is extremely busy with local people. If you could arrive there in very early morning before 9 a.m. or earlier period, before 27th December, you will be able to enjoy finding such seasonal delicacies and vital atomosphere more comfortably, although the weather is a bit cold. It could be less than 10 C degree outside even during the day.

After or before such joyful discovery of rare Japanese seasonal delicacies, let's have breakfast or lunch at a restaurant in the area. We can find many casual restaurants at Tsukiji Jogai markets. Majority of them offers Kaisendon (海鮮丼, seafood bowl) prepared with fresh ingredients, of course, from Tsukiji wholesale market just a few hundreds meters away and some other provide ramen that must originally target at market workers.

Today's our recommendation is a bit different from such typical Tsukiji meal.

Toritoh(鳥藤) is a wholesaler of chicken meat based in Tsukiji over 100 years since the beginning of 20th century. One of restaurants which the wholesaler company operates is located in Tsukiji Jogai area.

The name as same with the company, the casual Japanese restaurant Toritoh is specialized in plates and bowls with Chicken meat. The most recommendable specialty of Toritoh is Oyako-don (親子丼, bowl of chiekn and egg on top of rice) which is tradtional home-made style food in Japan.

Fresh tender chicken meat mixed with

high quality scramble eggs on top of rice

The sweet and gentle flavor suits not only for lunch but also for breakfast.

At Totitoh, Oyakodon is served with a cup of chicken stock soup which is also very nice.

The restaurant is small with several seats at the counter in front of open style kitchen as well as a few of tables. From the counter seats we can enjoy looking at the chefs preparing chicken for Oyakogon or Yakitori (skewered chicken) etc. Oyakodon is cooked on a very small pan for each diner one by one. Yakitori is grilled very carefully little by litthe by the chef. They know well how much and how these chicken pieces are cooked for each menu. The casual Japanese restaurant maybe is a place where we can taste chicken plate in the best way!! although the price is just around Yen 1000 or even less per person.

Half-boilded egg with chicken on top of rice (left)

Spices offered on the table (right) can be added as accent of flavor if you would.

These spices are also produced by Toritoh especially for chicken dishes.

23 December 2012

Some of you maybe already watched the movie about Jiro, 85years old Sushi chef with Michelin 3stars. As you can imagine, due to the Michelin guide's highest evaluation and the film by an American director "Jiro Dreams of Sushi", it is not easy to make a reservation at the most famous Sushi restaurant in the world. And maybe for many people, it is not so easy to spend such big amount of money around Yen 30,000 for a Sushi dining experience.

Well, is there any alternative way to take a small part of the Sushi restaurant Jiro?

Yes, we know!

We found an alternative choice in Tokyo still under his name brand, Sukiyabashi Jiro (すきやばし次郎) same with the original one in Ginza.

One of his units, Sukiyabashi Jiro, is accommodated on the 4th floor of Takashimaya Nihombashi department store main building. It must be the one where we can experience the world of Jiro in more relaxed atmosphere compared with the original store where the master chef Jiro serves. Because of the location in the department store, even first comers or those who are not so familiar with Sushi are also welcomed!

The restaurant offers some Sushi course sets

described with photo and price on the menu.

The price at Sukiyabashi Jiro Takashimaya Nihombashi is actually one-tenth of the original unit (Honten) in Ginza. So you do not have to worry whether you can afford or not there.

We were warmly welcomed with Japanese hospitality which is inherited from the flagship restaurant with Michelin 3 starts. We observed not a few elderly female guests, clientele of the established department, solely enjoying a plate of Sushi after shopping. It means that the Sushi restaurant is a place where even these ladies feel much comfortable.

Of course the quality won't be exactly same with the original restaurant where the Sushi master chef serves, considering the discrepancy of the prices. But still the restaurant in Takashimaya Nihombashi is operated under Jiro's brand name.

Needless to say, the seafood ingredients are fresh.

Anago (穴子 conger) is well cooked into a soft and sweet brown piece.

Trying the Sushi plate and the restaurant, we felt that, even without Jiro's brand name, the meal at Yen 3000 has a good value and it is a good opportunity to experience an authentic Sushi restaurant.

If you like it very much, then prepare and save money for visiting Jiro's original restaurant next time!!!

What to have here is "Anago tendon" (穴子天丼, deep-fried conger with rice bowl).

For those who is unfamiliar with Anago(conger), it looks similar to eel with long body like a snake. Anago is often served as a piece of Sushi, after cooked with sweet sauce. Tempura (Japanese style deep-fried ) is another good way to enjoy conger.

Anago tendon at Daimatsu

with incredibly large anago piece!!!

These two pieces are much over the bowl size...

crispy and of course tasty!!

Anago Tendon at Daimatsu is something rare to find even in Tokyo.

Restaurant name: Daimatsu (大松)

Address: Ota Market Jimuto 2nd floor, 3-2-1 Tokai, Ota-ku, Tokyo

Official site (in Japanese): http://homepage3.nifty.com/fujiken-daimatsu/daimatsu.htm

Well our second recommendation is for fresh seafood menu. In Ota Market, fresh seafood is also dealt with, even though the market size is not as much as of the famous Tsukiji Market. So why not try fresh seafood at a restaurant in Ota Market? They are equally fresh and high quality and luckly unlike some restaurants in Tsukiji Market, you do not have to make a long queue.

Location: Fujiken is situated in Annex or Kanrento (関連棟) in Japanese. Annex is tightly sandwiched between Fruit & Vegetable market and Seafood market. It is like a shopping archade, where more than ten shops & casual restaurants serving the market workers and wholesale traders visiting the market. We can find some shops selling processed food or packing materials and restaurants there.

The Annex has two streets, West and East but it is not so long and complicated. So it won't be difficult to find Fujiken there, especially because of clipping articles of Japanese magazines featuring the restaurant and autographs appearing at the restaurant's entrance.

11 December 2012

In Tokyo, it becomes cold day by day. The year-end of 2012 is coming soon.

The month of December is the busiest season for food markets, because during this season Japanese locals have some big events such as Christmas party, year end party and new year family gathering. Then this month's feature by About Food in Japan is "food MARKET" in Tokyo.

As our series of posts last year, Tsukiji fish market is very well known among tourists. But it is not only Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. We will introduce a few other markets of Tokyo on this month.

By the way, for those who plan to visit Tsukiji Market, please keep in mind that tsuna auction observation area is close out from tourists until 19 January 2013 for security reason due to the busiest season for professional dealers.

Well, let's back to a market introduction for today's post, Ota Market.

Ota Market is the largest market in Japan for fruit & vegetable and flower products, locating the bay side of West Tokyo, between Haneda Airport and central town. The share dealt by Ota Market is around a half of bussiness in Tokyo for these fresh products from land. While Tsukiji Market is the largest for fishery products, Ota Market also has fish & seasfood area.

Among all wholesale food markets in Tokyo, only Ota Market set up "Visitor Course" where tourists are welcomed to visit and watch inside of the wholesale market.

Let's see the largest market in Japan, following the visitor course with photos.

First how to get there, it will be easier to take a public bus from JR Omori station (two stops away from Shinagawa).

The bus to Ota Market (大田市場) departs from East Exit bus terminal next to train station, every 30 minutes or more during early morning.

It takes around 20 minutes from Omori train station to Ota Market.

The last stop is for the start point of Visitor Course, while the bus stops at 3 points in the market.

09 December 2012

In Tokyo, it is not only Japanese restaurants where we can expect high quality meal or good value experience. Today here we introduce a fancy and exotic choice which is popular among local younger clientele, late 20's to around 30's.

Rigoletto is a group of stylish restaurants which are known for high standard service with personal touch. One of their unit, Rigoletto Short Hills, is located in Nakameguro (中目黒) which is two stops from Shibuya (渋谷) or one stop from Ebisu (恵比寿). As our previous post about an Italian restaurant, Icaro with a Michelin star, Nakameguro is an interesting gourmet town where popular restaurants gather from casual to ones with Michelin star. Rigoletto Short Hills is one of such interesting choices in the town.

The concept of Rigoletto Short Hills is "Moroccan Tapas and Bar", standing in calm residential area of Nakameguro. It might be more sophisticated and modern than ordinary Moroccan restaurants.

Even though their Tagine pot becomes so popular in Japan for last few years, Moroccan concept is not so familiar among Japanese and many feel exotic atmosphere from it. The discreet appealing of Moroccan flavor decoration may be more comfortable for many locals.

After going through the entrance door on the ground floor, we found open-style kitchen in modern atmosphere with high tables and chairs.

On the second floor, library-like interior in monotone colors is chic.

On another side, we can find a beautiful white wall in Arabic style.

Depending on the group of guests, from a couple to a small group of 4 to 6 people or around, the restaurant will provide an appropriate type of table.

It also has some Spanish taste like Iberico raw ham or tapas collection.

What makes Rigoletto different from others and popular is the tapas menu available at Yen 300 and Yen 500 per plate. The price is unbelievable considering the fancy atmosphere and service.

The mix of Moroccan and European tastes give us fun to enjoy several from the wide choices. It will be better to share a table by around 4 of nice friends or family rather than just a couple, so you can order more plates to share.

The alcohol selection is also fantastic as same with the tapas. That will make you happier.

Majority of wine bottles are at Yen 2500 and plenty choices of cocktail and other alcohol drinks are also available.

It is not easy for ladies to select just one from the attractive choices. Definitely we can't leave without having more than a glass per person.

Have a happy moment at the exotic hideaway with nice food & drink, and attntive service, but at reasonable price!